1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for making frozen desserts and similarly frozen food products. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method that can be used to make and dispense both ice cream and iced slush drinks.
2. Background
Several types of ice cream making devices are known in the art. It has long been known that, in order to prevent the formation of large ice crystals, it is necessary to stir the ice cream mix while freezing it. In the earliest forms of domestic ice cream makers, an outer container had within it a rotatable inner container. The space between the two containers was filled with a mixture of ice and salt, and ice cream mix was placed in the inner container. The inner container was then rotated, the ice cream mix being stirred by means of a fixed mixing blade. Alternatively, the mixing blade was instead rotated.
In many modern ice cream making devices, the rotation causing the mixing motion is carried out by means of an electric motor. After the electric motor is switched on, the mixing blade begins to turn, thereby mixing the ice cream mixture. Any ice cream forming on the cold container is scraped off and mixed back into the ice cream mixture. This mixing continues until ice cream of the desired temperature and consistency remains.
Some ice cream making devices, instead of using a mixture of ice and salt to keep the ice cream container cold and thereby freeze the ice cream mix, use an electric refrigerating apparatus. Some devices are designed to include their own portable refrigerating apparatus attached to the ice cream containers; other devices are designed to simply be placed inside the freezer compartment of a typical domestic refrigerator.